Better Streets was recently invited by The Greens’ Cate Faehrmann and Kobi Shetty to NSW Parliament House for a discussion about shared streets in NSW. Alongside our colleagues from Walk Sydney, Bicycle NSW, 30Please and Inner West BUG, we explored how The Greens could shape their policies to ensure more inclusive, safer and environmentally-friendly streets and communities.
We welcomed this opportunity to collaborate with The Greens on developing sensible policies for sustainable transport and healthy streets. We are open to working with any party interested in fostering a more inclusive and sustainable transport future for communities around Australia. In our workshop, we proposed three key infrastructure recommendations and three enablers to ensure the best outcomes for our communities, which are outlined in further detail below. Infrastructure: 1. Introduce a 30km/h default Urban Speed Limit 2. Allocate 20% of the transport budget to Active Transport 3. Focus on schools to enable 75% of children to walk, cycle or use public transport. Enablers: 4. Undertake a deep reform of transport across state and local governments 5. Establish a Carbon Budget for all sectors, including transport 6. Embed a fully integrated approach to transport and land use planning. Recommendation 1. Introduce a 30km/h default Urban Speed Limit At 30km/h drivers have a wider field of vision and a greater chance of noticing potential hazards and stopping in time. At this speed most people, including children and the elderly, will survive a collision. Reduced speeds also make streets quieter, reduce noise pollution and encourage more people to walk and cycle. More detail about our position is at Slow vehicles down - Better Streets. Recommendation 2. Allocate 20% of the transport budget to Active Transport To achieve a substantial mode shift and reduce carbon emissions from transport, investment must be redirected to active and public transport. Countries like Ireland and Sweden allocate 18-20% of their transport budgets to active transport. Adopting this approach in NSW, in conjunction with our other recommendations, would transform our streets - much like Paris has done in recent years. Recommendation 3. Focus on schools to enable 75% of children to walk, cycle, or use public transport Focusing on schools is crucial for creating a safe and encouraging environment for children. Improving infrastructure around schools to enable children to walk independently, improves their health and wellbeing and significantly reduces traffic congestion and pollution around schools. See our position at Better Streets at school - Better Streets Recommendation 4. Undertake a deep reform of transport We believe the time has come for a deep review of Transport for NSW (TfNSW) and local governments to address the systemic issues hindering optimal outcomes. Key actions that we recommend include:
b) carbon reduction c) better streets outcomes (30kmh, cycleways, crossings) d) reduction in pedestrian and bicycle-rider fatalities.
Recommendation 5. Establish a Carbon Budget for all sectors, including transport NSW should implement a carbon budget for all sectors to meet legislated carbon reduction targets for 2030, 2035 and 2050. This would entail setting five-year carbon budgets that progressively decrease for each sector, including transport. In Wales, the Well-being of Future Generations Act (2015) created a legal obligation for all public bodies to ensure they don’t compromise future generations, while the Net Zero Wales Carbon Budget requires agencies to ensure that every decision keeps the agency within its allocated carbon budget. A Roads Review panel found most road projects needed to be halted because of their anticipated embodied carbon and operational emissions. It did not accept rising traffic forecasts as justification for increased road capacity, highlighting the need to focus on sustainable transport solutions instead. We strongly recommend that NSW adopt a similar approach. Recommendation 6. Embed a fully integrated approach to transport and land use planning If we are serious about reducing emissions and conclude, as the Welsh Government did, that road building needs to be halted, then we need to re-think our planning for urban areas. Better Streets argues that state and local governments should immediately reject all new developments that perpetuate car dependency for current and future generations. Instead, we should support compact, efficient urban forms. This involves prioritising infill over greenfield development. The NSW Government’s commitment to Transit-Oriented Developments (TODs) is a first step, by increasing density around major public transport. However this also needs to be accompanied by a serious commitment to reduced traffic speeds, improved streetscapes and parklands, and better infrastructure provision for those communities. If we cease building new roads, we can redirect funds to more sustainable initiatives, such as public and active transport, streetscape improvements and affordable housing. The Victorian Government subsidises greenfield areas by $170 000 per home which could instead fund affordable housing in infill areas. Infrastructure Victoria shows that compact development uses less land, encourages shorter driving distances, increases the use of active and public transport, and results in lower overall emissions.
0 Comments
We are delighted to see that the Yarra City Council has approved an extension of the area to which its 30km/h speed limit applies, to cover all the streets within the boundaries of the Melbourne suburbs of Fitzroy and Collingwood (apart from the Johnston Street arterial) [1]. Fitzroy and Collingwood are relatively densely populated inner city suburbs (with 19,610 residents), just 3 kilometres from Melbourne’s Central Business District. Around 28% of households across the two suburbs do not own a car (compared with 8.5% for Greater Melbourne) [2] indicating a very high reliance on walking and cycling in the area. Streets Alive Yarra, a local safe streets advocacy group (and Better Streets coalition member) has led the campaign for a street-friendly reduction in the speed limit. Founder and president Jeremy Lawrence said: “the reduced speed limit is the lowest cost measure for maximum possible safety access...benefitting people of all ages and abilities; kids, seniors, parents with prams.“ [4] The improved safety outcomes of the the City of Yarra trial reflects the overwhelming evidence from health and safety authority research, and the experience of cities around the world, including Toronto (Canada), Bogota (Columbia) and London (UK) [5]. Lower vehicle speeds on residential streets are not just about fewer crashes. Lower speeds support the use of the street for people of all ages and abilities to walk, to ride, to socialise, to gather at local businesses. For Better Streets, the 30km/h limit is a vital step to getting kids active, boosting local business, and providing transport choices. If you want people-friendly speed limits in your local streets:
[1] The Melbourne Age, 9 May 2024. Speed limit cut to 30km/h on almost every street in two suburbs.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/collingwood-and-fitzroy-streets-drop-to-30km-h-from-today-20240509-p5in8u.html [2] Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021. Community profile for Fitzroy, Collingwood, Greater Melbourne. [3] The Melbourne Age, 15 November 2023. Melbourne council votes to drop speed limit to 30km/h to protect cyclists, pedestrians https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/melbourne-council-votes-to-drop-speed-limit-to-30km-h-to-protect-cyclists-pedestrians-20231115-p5ek1k.html [4] Streets Alive Yarra, 9 May 2024. Yarra City Council Green Lights New 30km/h Speed Limit Trial https://streets-alive-yarra.org/journal/expanded-30-km-h-zone/ [5] Better Streets, Recommendation 2 https://www.betterstreets.org.au/slow-vehicles-downs.html Australian government to fund $100 million national Active Transport FundKey points
Full Release Better Streets welcomes the Australian Government’s announcement of a $100 million national Active Transport Fund. It’s pleasing to see funding to upgrade and deliver new bicycle and walking paths. Investing in active transport is the most effective way to deliver mobility freedom for Australians. Active transport infrastructure provides safe, healthy, enjoyable and convenient options to walk or ride a bicycle, enabling people of all ages to access school, jobs, or services at a low cost. The Better Streets Recommendation #1 to all governments is to get kids active, to encourage 75% of children to walk, cycle, scoot, or take public transport to school everyday, setting them up with healthy habits for life. To make this happen we need investment in bicycle and walking paths, which the announcement provides. Similarly, Recommendation #4 is to make more crossings for people walking, and Recommendation #5 is to build more bicycle routes, directly align with the announcement. Every journey that can be switched to active transport is a win for our environment and a win for our children’s future. Better Streets calls upon each state and territory government to match the federal government’s announcement, dollar for dollar, and to provide stable, continual investment in active transport, which is core to building better streets. Quotes attributable to Sara Stace, President “Better Streets welcomes the Australian Government’s announcement of a $100 million national Active Transport Fund.” “Investing in active transport is a way to deliver mobility freedom for Australians, enabling people of all ages to get around in a low cost manner.” “Better Streets calls upon each state and territory government to match the federal government’s announcement, dollar for dollar, and to provide stable, continual investment in active transport, which is core to building better streets that are safe, healthy, and accessible and enjoyable for all.” About Better Streets Better Streets is the peak body for accelerating the adoption of safe, healthy, people-friendly, climate-friendly streets, right across Australia. Better Streets is a registered charity, run by volunteers, experts, educators, and advocates. Our goal is to educate, connect and empower our coalition of community groups, businesses, decision-makers and individuals to take more effective, scalable action and advocate to improve our streets. https://www.betterstreets.org.au/about-us.html Reference: Australia Government. (7 May 2024). National Active Transport Fund. https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/c-king/media-release/national-active-transport-fund Download Press Release
Better Streets welcomes the Transport for NSW Implementation review of the TfNSW Road User Space Allocation policy. In January 2021, when the Road User Space Allocation (RUSA) policy was released, it marked a monumental step in the organisation’s growth in strategic planning. The two-page policy was short, but achieved its purpose in allowing the organisation to have real conversations about Road Space Allocation. The principles of the policy are:
The review found, there have been enormous challenges with actually implementing the policy or holding anyone accountable and seeing changes in projects provisioning for more space for people walking, riding to improve sustainable transport options on our roads. Some of the findings were:
Better Streets encourages Transport for NSW to adopt these recommendations as soon as possible and ensure the transition process is adequately funded and well resourced. This is a massive change management exercise that will require a strong team and committed leadership. We can’t afford to build more road space for private motor vehicle use if we want to live in healthy, sustainable, liveable places. Stronger policies like this RUSA policy (with measurable targets) are required to ensure we build safer, more enjoyable places for people to walk and ride a bicycle, and operate businesses. The recent decision to build a pedestrian bridge over Dobroyd Parade, better known as the CityWest Link (CWL), at the intersection with Waratah Street in Haberfield, is a continuation of the dismantling of an environment conducive to walking and riding, and replacing it with one that is hostile and discouraging where it is most prevalent [1]. While Transport for NSW (TfNSW) claims the bridge prioritises a “safer crossing for pedestrians”, there is a question as to whose interests it really serves. Presently the intersection supports motor vehicles travelling into and out of Haberfield using the CWL. The pedestrian crossing at the Waratah Street intersection is a critical connection to Timbrell Park for Haberfield and North Ashfield residents. Timbrell Park is an extensive and popular recreational area supporting a flagship Livvi’s Place Playground and Cafe (designed based on Inclusive Play principles) [3], running, cycling and BMX tracks, numerous sporting fields and a focal point for active and passive recreation such as dog walking and yoga/ pilates. The final bridge design will provide access via stairs and a lift at each end. There will be no ramps, requiring all those who cannot negotiate two sets of stairs to rely on a lift that may or may not be functioning. While traffic lights will remain to govern the flow of cars, ground access to the crossing will be denied to people walking and riding, with their way to be blocked with fences and concrete barriers. Community engagement with the proposal reflected concern at the extent to which the removal of the at-grade crossing would discourage and exclude people who wanted to walk, ride or roll to the park. There is a body of research supporting this concern. Solioz and Lopez [4] have noted: If a [pedestrian bridge] is not universally accessible, convenient and well-utilized by a diversity of active travelers, then it might be better described as a disabling apparatus, a monument of immobility or an anti-pedestrian bridge. The Inner West Council initially argued for the crossing to be retained at-grade with a single phase, while the Haberfield Association found that TfNSW had no interest in remedying its own experience of unsafe driving behaviour. Despite abundant traffic cameras, they are only for flow management rather than enforcement of dangerous driving. It became apparent that giving over the space entirely to cars was more the priority. [5] In this way the community itself arrived at the conclusions of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) [6], …by displacing people, pedestrian bridges simply reinforce the dominion of vehicles over people on the streets. Pedestrian bridges discourage walking and cycling and exacerbate poor road safety for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists alike. Separating people from the street reinforces the prioritization of personal motor vehicles, while encouraging speeding, driver negligence, and traffic fatalities. The millions of dollars that this bridge, (estimated cost $9 million [6]) will cost could be better used to build better connections for people walking and riding bicycles in the neighbourhood. [1] WalkSydney, 2024. WalkSydney’s submission to the current Parliamentary Inquiry into the Impact of the Rozelle Interchange
[2] For more information on Livvi’s Place playgrounds see https://www.touchedbyolivia.com.au/ [3] Soliz, Aryana & Pérez López, Ruth. (2022). ‘Footbridges’: pedestrian infrastructure or urban barrier? [4] The Haberfield Association. (2023). https://haberfield.asn.au/cwl-waratah-st-bridge-habas-submission/ [5] Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (2024): "Pedestrian Bridges make cities less walkable why do cities keep building them?" [6] Compared to the (shorter) Heathcote pedestrian bridge at Princes Highway which is reported to have cost $5.5 million in 2014, an estimated cost for the Haberfield bridge (+32% as per the relevant ABS cost index and an additional margin to account for the longer bridge) is around $9 million. |
Archives
July 2024
Categories
All
|